LAB 13 - Have Your Say

Does dialogue between young people and elected officials lead to political change or does it produce empty words without any effect? What are the challenges and possibilities to move from discussion to action?

Have Your Say – The Structured Dialogue of Youth, Czech Council of Children and Youth (ČRDM), Czech Republic

Project Kecejme do toho (Have Your Say) aims to provide participation and Structured Dialogue for young people between 15 and 26 years of age. They are organising discussions, workshops, working groups and other kind of events, where young people are discussing current political topics with impact on youth on national and European level among themselves and afterwards with politicians. The project started in 2010 and the 5th edition is currently taking place.

Presenters

Michaela Cvachová started as a participant of this project and began active member of project team. She is a positive example of the goals of this project. She is finalising her studies in Political Philosophy and her interest is civil society, human rights and youth participation. Apart from the main activities towards the implementation of the structured dialog process, she is volunteering in the Czech Council of Children and Youth in foreign affairs.

Mr Jan HUSÁK, Czech Republic, Board member of the Czech Council of Children and Youth

Jan Husák set up the „Kecejme do toho project“ to realize the process of structured dialogue in the Czech republic. He is a Board member of the Czech Council of Children and Youth, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the AFS Intercultural Programs Czech Republic and Coordinator of Czech National Working Group for implementation of the Structured Dialogue process and also the Lead-Researcher of the Youth Policy Review in the Czech Republic by the Youthpolicy.org and OSF. He continues his study in Political Science at the University of Economics as PhD Candidate with the focus on Co-management practices in sectoral policies and its influence on democratization.

The actions of the Alsatian Youth Parliament, France

The Alsatian Youth Parliament has been working since 2011 on the sharing of experiences in order to better take into account European Youth in political decision-making. The Alsatian Youth Parliament (AYP) was involved in the European report on the democratic participation of young people in Europe, presented to the Association of European Regions. Demanding the active participation of young Alsatians in local democracy, the AYP has also contributed to the 2030 Alsace prospective approach to influence the strategic direction of Alsace tomorrow.

presenter

Ms Lilla MERABET, France, Vice-President of the Alsace Region, Vice-President of the "Youth, Social Economy and Solidarity" Commission

Lilla Merabet is since March 2010 Regional Advisor of Alsace and Vice-President of the Commission "Youth, Social Economy and Solidarity". She was asked by the President of the Regional Council, Philippe Richert, former Minister, to initiate and implement a transversal policy dedicated to youth, which is one of the top priorities of the community. In May 2014, she became Vice President of the Regional Council of Alsace and also chairs the Committee "Innovation, Research and Higher Education." Within the Assembly of European Regions (AER), Lilla Merabet occupies the Vice-Presidency of the Youth Commission and the Presidency of the Sub-Commission Youth. Lilla Merabet currently holds, in parallel with her public engagement, the position of Regional Representative of the “Fondation de France Alsace-Lorraine”.

Discussants

Discussants are invited to make critical comments during the lab on the impact, transferrability, sustainability and risk of the initiative.

Ms Olga FILIPPOVA, Russian Federation, Principal Manager at the Civil Society Engagement Unit of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Olga Filippova is a Principal Manager at the Civil Society Engagement Unit of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London responsible for engaging with civil society in Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Mongolia and Baltic countries. Olga is also in charge of overseeing the implementation of the Civil Society Capacity Building Framework, a new initiative of the EBRD aimed at enhancing skills and capacity of local grass root civil society groups and organisations affected by the EBRD’s investments and policy dialogue initiatives. Before joining the EBRD in 2007, Olga worked for a Russian state-owned development bank Vnesekonom Bank (VEB) in Moscow as a press officer overseeing external relations with media but also government and civil society stakeholders.

Mr Francis LALOUPO, Benin/France, Journalist and Author

Francis Lalupo is journalist by profession and has been director of "Taxi Ville", editor of the magazine "Le Nouvel Afrique Asie", and managing editor of the magazine "Continental" between 1987 and 2010. He has also worked as journalist and columnist at France Inter and as columnist at France O. Currently, he is producer at Africa #1 Paris, TV5 Monde columnist, Professor of International Relations at the Institute of Journalism (IPJ Paris-Dauphine), Director-General of Generis Media Enterprises (GME) and media consultant. He is also chairman of the ORGAPE (Observatory of Geopolitics and Reforms in Africa and European Partners) and author of “France-Afrique, La rupture maintenant?”.

Mr Howard WILLIAMSON, United Kingdom, Professor of European Youth Policy at University of South Wales

Howard Williamson is Professor of European Youth Policy at the University of South Wales. A youth work practitioner for over 25 years, he has advised various governments on a range of youth issues. He has been closely involved in the Council of Europe international reviews of national youth policy. He did the original study on young people who are now defined as ‘NEET’ and continues to explore the lives of men whom he first met when they were young offenders in the 1970s. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2002 for services to young people.

moderator

Mr André-Jacques DODIN, Head of Youth Policy Division, Council of Europe

André-Jacques Dodin studied History and Social work in Lille. From 1974-1976, he was Director of an African youth training centre for French speaking African countries in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He was from 1976-1982 Programme executive for the European Region of the World Scout organisation and later educational advisor of the European Youth Centre of the Council of Europe. He became Deputy Executive Director of the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe in 1986 and Executive Director in 1988. In 2001, he became Head of Intergovernmental co-operation and the Youth policy Division at the Council of Europe.